SARAH Ennis had mixed luck when the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland returned to Castle Irvine, Necarne last August, recording two wins, a second-place finish and two cross-country falls from her five rides.

In spite of those falls, which both came in the EI100 for five-year-olds, the Meath Olympian was fulsome in her praise of the venue and, in particular, the Vina Buller-designed cross-country tracks. Back at the Co Fermanagh estate last Saturday, Ennis again won twice but this time initiating her double in one of the country’s rare EI20 classes with Action Lady M on whom she had finished second in the EI115 for seven and eight-year-olds here last August before filling the same position in the CCI3*-S at Millstreet.

Now in the ownership of Andrew Cox, the 2014 Susanne Macken-bred Plot Blue mare recorded a double clear and, with 23.6 cross-country time penalties, won on a total of 57.8 ahead of her stable-companion Grantstown Jackson (58.3). The latter’s better flatwork score and faster cross-country round (21.2) were compromised by a fence down show jumping.

Joseph Murphy led after the Vanda Stewart-judged dressage phase with The Quizmaster (29.6) but withdrew before cross-country – as did Daniel Brown who was on 33.8 with Fleur De Lis. All four horses mentioned are entered in the CCI4*-S at Millstreet next week.

Ennis completed her Necarne double in the Horse Sport Ireland EI115 for seven-year-olds which attracted just five entries. Here, Wendy Harris and Niki Potterton’s S Creevagh Ferro gelding Dourough Ferro Class Act once again lived up to his name when, with a double clear, he added 19.6 cross-country time penalties to his impressive David Lee-awarded winning dressage score (25).

Second there with Rosconnell Alto (52.1), south Co Dublin’s Ian Cassells turned the tables on Ennis in the HSI EI110 for six-year-olds which also had just seven starters, four of whom jumped double clears.

Cassells took the honours with Gerry Leahy’s Grand Gayle gelding Millridge Athos who added 12.4 cross-country time penalties to the winning dressage score of 27.3 he had been awarded by John Lyttle. Ennis was a lot quicker on the final leg (7.2 penalties) but had to settle for second with Diamond Fusion (40.4) who won the five-year-old class here last August.

Neither Ennis nor Cassells had a ride in that four-runner HSI-sponsored class on Saturday, the honours going to Adam Haugh who completed on his dressage score with the Future Trend gelding FJK Back To The Future (32.5). Jonny Steele likewise finished on his flatwork mark for second with Mon Ami Beauvallet (34.8).